Whitaker Arms food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Leeds
Whitaker Arms holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 26 January 2023, more than 3 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.
Address: 49 Kirkgate, Otley, LS21 3HN
How it compares in Leeds
In Leeds, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so Whitaker Arms sits behind roughly 5,360 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 4,253 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 1,107 | 19% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 229 | 4% | ← Whitaker Arms | |
| 2 out of 5 | 54 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 39 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 1,710 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At Whitaker Arms none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Whitaker Arms, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bargain Booze Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 11 September 2019 |
| Efes Bar And Grill Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 August 2024 |
| Greggs (Otley) Retailers - other | 60 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2025 |
| Costa Coffee (Otley) Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 84 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 October 2025 |
| Cafe Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 108 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 August 2024 |
| Cafe Twenty One Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 108 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2025 |
| Chez Vin Ltd Retailers - other | 108 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2007 |
| Catering Leeds (St Josephs Catholic Primary School) School/college/university | 109 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 October 2024 |
Questions about Whitaker Arms
What is Whitaker Arms's food hygiene rating?
Whitaker Arms has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Leeds Council on 26 January 2023.
Is Whitaker Arms safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Whitaker Arms last inspected?
Whitaker Arms was last inspected on 26 January 2023, more than 3 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Leeds Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Whitaker Arms?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Whitaker Arms compare to other places in Leeds?
75% of the 5,682 rated food businesses in Leeds hold the top rating of 5, while Whitaker Arms holds a 3. 229 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Leeds Council inspects Whitaker Arms and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch Whitaker Arms and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Whitaker Arms is one of 167 rated food businesses in Otley. See every hygiene rating in Otley →
Leeds inspects and rates 7,392 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Leeds →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →